S. Samuel
With music mogul Diddy's Bad Boy Records adding rapper French Montana to its already growing roster this week, the company's CEO has clarified criticism and explained how impactful his company has been over the past two decades.
In Diddy’s opinion, he has always helped artists reach their prime under his watch.
“I realized that the level of propaganda was at such an all-time high on the negative side that they were really trying to stop me by any means necessary by spewing out negative venom about any of my practices or any of my get downs,” Diddy told Funkmaster Flex. “But my actions and my legacy speaks for itself. Whenever an artist was signed to me, they always did better with me than any other place they felt they wanted to go where the grass was greener. I’ve always had a saying that if you don’t want to be with Bad Boy, I’ll let you out. The life expectancy of this game, this is a real grown-up game, and because people have known and grown-up with the label, they’ll ask questions like, ‘Where is this artist? Where is that artist?’ But they don’t ask any other labels that question. None of the artists on Def Jam [from years ago] are still on Def Jam. … There’s not even a Roc-A-Fella anymore or Ruff Ryders or whatever it is. We’ve stood the test of time and when an artist was signed with us, they had their most earnings and the most success they’ve ever had.” (Hot 97)
This week, Bad Boy rapper Red Cafe stood up for Diddy and took on his naysayers.
“Working with Puff … he watches over everyone. He’s a part of the project from start to finish. He’s very hands on. Even when I’m in the studio alone, he checks on me and sees if things are done right and the way he wants it to go. This is Bad Boy’s legacy. This is his legacy. … A lot of the bad talk about Puff mainly come from artists that had success with Puff, get platinum albums with Puff, who just never got the position themselves to take control of their lives and careers. They just wanted their hands to be held for the rest of their lives. The things they say are not valid to me. Puff made all of his artists go platinum or gold. He set a platform for you to go and do your own thing. That doesn’t apply to me because I was already an artist on my own touring the world, just creating revenue for Red Café on my own.” (Global Grind)
In 2010, Puffy killed the notion of hurting Bad Boy artists’ careers.
“There’s an off perception that needs to be addressed about me that I have ever robbed somebody or mistreated somebody. Or tried to be ruthless or whatever in this game. Like, all this year I’ve heard people say, ‘Where’s Carl Thomas, where’s Black Rob, where’s G.Dep? Where are these artists?’ And for some reason they go ahead and equate that, cause those artists aren’t with me, that I’ve done something wrong or malicious or conniving. It’s something that I do have a problem with because they don’t have no proof that I’ve ever done nothing like that — people don’t understand this game that we’re in. You have a short life expectancy. It’s rare to a me, to be a Jay-Z, an LL [Cool J], a Nas. That sh*t is a rarity. That’s not even one percent of the rappers.” (Rap Radar)
This week, Diddy officially welcomed French Montana to Bad Boy.
“I represent New York for the fullest,” Diddy said. “For real for real, can’t nothing move in this city without us being a part of it. We the Yankees of this whole thing! It’s time for us to get what we supposed to get. [French] got them pinstripes on and he ready to hit it out the park.” (“106 & Park”)
Check out some recent Diddy footage below:
